Is buying a home in Maricopa still a bargain?

When buying a home, you have to look at the big picture. Your total cost of living and lifestyle is as important as the price of the home. You need to sort out the pros and cons to make a choice that will keep you happy and in your comfort range of affordability.

If you have lived in Arizona, or have been watching the housing market during the last two years, you know home prices have gone up. The National Association of Home Builders reported housing starts in the greater Phoenix area are up 15.4 percent over a year ago.

This is great news for the state’s real estate market and home prices are moving up at a reasonable pace.

Maricopa currently has more than six builders constructing new homes in various subdivisions. Empty lots are being bought and developed, and subdivisions are being completed after years of having vacant lots scattered between houses.

Just drive through subdivisions like Homestead, The Villages, Glennwilde, Sorrento, The Lakes, Desert Passage and Rancho Mirage and you can see new homes going up. New home prices in Maricopa range from the mid $130,000s up to the mid $300,000s.

Advantages when buying a new home include being able to pick out some of your upgrades and personalize your home as it is being constructed. Some new-home builders also are building more energy-efficient homes.